Hales Group Limited - Sheffield

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence. This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. People and relatives felt involved in their care and support and told us they had an initial assessment prior to using the service. One relative said, “I was involved in the assessment and got a paper copy of the care plan and carers have a copy on their phones.” Another relative said, “[Family member’s] care plan is pretty thorough and is adjusted if anything changes.” One professional said, “They [Hales Group Sheffield], have their service user’s best interests at heart, every aspect of care is discussed and recorded in their initial assessment.”

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards. Care plan documentation included people’s dietary preferences and nutritional needs. Regular monitoring was documented and any changes in appetite or fluid intake were addressed in line with best practice. However, some people and relatives raised concerns regarding how their meals were prepared, commenting that some carers were not trained in food preparation. We spoke with the registered manager about this who had already identified this as a concern and had sourced some training to address this.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They shared their assessment of people’s needs when people moved between different services. We received mixed comments from staff who told us members of the management team did not always communicate changes to people’s care packages. However, we saw management systems were in place to help communicate messages to staff, for example an electronic notice board relayed information staff would need to provide support. We received positive comments from external professionals who told us staff and leaders worked effectively with them. One professional said, “Overall my dealings with Hales Group Sheffield is very satisfactory. [Registered manager] is consistent in their approach to anything that crops up.”

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support. We saw examples of joined up working where people had been referred to healthcare professionals and staff had successfully followed their advice and guidance to improve outcomes for people.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. Care plans were written in a way that managed people’s expectations and promoted better outcomes. One person wanted to ensure they received a well-balanced diet which promoted their energy levels, general wellbeing and good health. They had a desire to remain physically healthy. Staff were to ensure the person received regular eating, balanced meals, drinking sufficient fluids throughout the day, making healthy food and following any dietary guidance.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. Staff and leaders ensured people consented to their care and support. We saw people had consent documents in place regarding personal care and aspects of their support where consent was required. One staff member said, “People are supported to have choice by offering options for things like meals or clothing.”